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	{{Infobox ~~CVG\|~~ title = Chris Sawyer's Locomotion		{{Infobox video game
			\|title = Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
	\| image = ]		\|image = Chrissawyerlocomotion.jpg
	\| ~~developer~~ = ]		\|publisher = ]
	\| ~~publisher~~ = ]		\|designer = ]
			\|artist = Simon Foster
	\| designer = ]
			\|composer = ]<ref>{{cite web \|title=Portfolio \|url=http://www.orchestralmedia.co.uk/portfolio/ \|website=Orchestral Media \|publisher=Orchestral Media Developments \|accessdate=30 April 2016 \|language=en-US \|date=4 October 2008 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420112829/http://www.orchestralmedia.co.uk/portfolio/ \|archive-date=20 April 2016 \|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Customer Support, Technical Support, Game Enquiries \|url=http://www.chrissawyergames.com/contacts.htm \|website=Chris Sawyer Software Development \|accessdate=30 April 2016 \|language=en \|quote=Cinematic orchestral music for video games by Allister Brimble and Anthony Putson. Allister created the music and sound effects for RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 & 2, and Chris Sawyer's Locomotion.}}</ref><br/>]<br/>David Punshon<br/>]
	\| engine =
	\| released = ]		\|engine =
			\|released = September 2004
	\| genre = ]		\|genre = ]
	\| modes = ], ]		\|modes = ], ]
			\|platforms = ]
	\| ratings = ]: Everyone (E)
	\| platforms = ]
	\| media =
	\| requirements =
	\| input =
	}}		}}
			'''''Chris Sawyer's Locomotion''''' (often abbreviated to '''''Locomotion''''') is a ] designed and programmed by ] ] ], and published by ] in September 2004. The game is a ] in which the player takes on the role of a transportation company manager, building transportation networks and managing the flow of goods and passengers in order to compete against rival companies. Sawyer independently developed the game over nine years from the 1990s as a "spiritual successor to '']''",<ref name=RG/> with the game featuring "fundamentally the same" gameplay but with "differences in detail, scale and presentation" to update and refine the features that Sawyer "wanted to get right" in its predecessor.<ref name=HLF>{{cite web \|website=HomeLAN \|last=Callaham \|first=John \|date=21 September 2004 \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion Interview \|url=https://www.homelanfed.com/index.php?id=26196 \|url-status=usurped \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041009143014/https://www.homelanfed.com/index.php?id=26196 \|archive-date=2004-10-09}}</ref>
	'''''Chris Sawyer's Locomotion''''' is a ] by independent ] ]. In his words, it is "the spiritual successor to '']''".

			''Locomotion'' was released to mixed reviews, with critics observing the game had a dated presentation for the time and was less user-friendly than its predecessors. Following an extended hiatus from the video game industry, the game was re-released by Sawyer in 2013 as a mobile iteration of '']'' for ] and ]. ''Locomotion'' has also since been the subject of open-source redevelopment by third parties.
	The game allows the player to use ], ]s, ], ], ] and ] to earn money in a ] company between the years ] to ]. It contains over 40 pre-designed scenarios and a scenario editor, and can also be played in multiplayer mode with another human-controlled competitor. The game is played in an 3D ] view like the other games by Chris Sawyer, particularly '']'', which uses the engine that was originally developed for this game.

			==Gameplay==
	The game was released in the ] on ] ] and a few days later in the rest of the world.

			]
	Reviews of the game were generally not favorable, with many noting that the game's ] and ] were both poor compared to the original ''Transport Tycoon''. However, the AI algorithm had expanded since '']'', such that it would now build two-way routes and avoid constructing loops. Sabotage of the rival companies' vehicles,so prevalent in Transport Tycoon, has been reduced but not entirely eliminated. Further, rival companies can never be bought over by the player's company.

			''Locomotion'' is an isometric transport ] using a refined version of the '']'' engine first used for '']''.<ref name=GSpot2>{{cite web \|author1=Gamespot Staff \|title=RollerCoaster Tycoon designer offers first details on new title \|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04/02/news_6092788.html \|website=GameSpot \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007050504/http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04/02/news_6092788.html \|archivedate=7 October 2009 \|format=Interview \|date=2 April 2004}}</ref> The game involves the management of a transport company to construct a network of trains, trams, trucks, buses, airplanes, and ships to co-ordinate a ] of resources, including minerals, goods, and passengers across industries to towns and cities. Players start with a bank loan and must build profitable networks to facilitate the supply and demand of resources to earn money and expand their company. To transport resources, players build networks between stations using road, rail, ports, and airports, and purchase vehicles of varying cost, speed, and reliability to travel between them. Players create profitable networks by transporting goods and passengers in efficient networks across greater distances, whilst minimizing transport costs.<ref name=Manual/>
	The game included a hidden mode to allow the actual control of trains, activated by stopping a train, holding down the "insert" key and typing "driver", then selecting manual from the start/stop selector .

			''Locomotion'' contains over 40 scenarios in which players compete with rival companies to create successful networks and meet various objectives, such as finishing in a certain ranking in the list of companies, or transporting a specific amount of cargo of a resource. Scenarios are based on five difficulty levels: Beginner, Easy, Medium, Challenging and Expert, and are based on fictional and real-world locations, including the United States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The game also contains a scenario editor to allow players to create and modify the game's scenarios and create custom maps. Scenarios in ''Locomotion'' also supports online multiplayer for two players, which plays identically to single player scenarios except with minor restrictions to speed controls.<ref name=Manual/> The game also features a hidden train driving mode in which players can perform a keyboard command to assume control over the trains in the game.<ref>{{cite web \|website=Chris Sawyer \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion - Train Driving Mode! \|year=2005 \|url=http://www.chrissawyergames.com/feature6.htm}}</ref>
	==New features compared to Transport Tycoon==

			== Development and release ==
	;Easier road station/terminus building: Players may now set up bus passenger stops without having to demolish a block of land to make way for a proper bus station right in the town's road itself. However, players may not build bus stops at junctions or indeed, any other stations at all. Cargo receiving stations may only be built at the end of a road although there is now no need to destroy the existing road beforehand as the station must now straddle the road. The same principle also applies when building a passenger terminus. It is now acceptable to place a station adjacent to another of the same cargo type (e.g 2 passenger terminus constructed side by side) and creating expansions to cover a wider catchment area.

			''Locomotion'' was developed by ] ], who had previously developed the ] '']''". Sawyer intended ''Locomotion'' to be a "spiritual successor" to '']'', and had worked to complete such a game as early as 1996, but did not make a serious effort to create a successor until the release of '']'' in 2002.<ref name=GSpot2/> Sawyer also cited the desire to modernise '']'' to harness the increased technical capabilities of computers at the time, including greater processing power and memory, that allowed a game that "could handle many more more transport vehicles, larger maps, and multiple-level bridges and tunnels instead of just land-based construction,"<ref name=GSpot2/> and "more detailed and smoother animation as well as the multi-level three-dimensional transport routes I wanted to include in previous games."<ref name=RG/> Sawyer created the game independently, responsible for the "design, programming, project management and research" himself, with assistance from a graphic artist and musician.<ref name=Manual>{{cite book \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion: Game Manual \|date=2004 \|publisher=Atari \|url=https://archive.org/details/Chris_Sawyers_Locomotion/mode/2up}}</ref> Sawyer reflected that ''Locomotion'' was created using "large parts of the programming" for '']'', which was developed during the same time.<ref name=GSpot2/>
	;Tunnels leading to underground stations: This can be incredibly useful in preserving the landscape above ground (such as office buildings which provide passengers, or trees whose destruction would lower the company's approval rating) and also to be able to construct the railway tracks or roads without hindrance from other competitors. The drawback to this new feature is that these underground links can be extremely expensive to build and should not be utilised in the early part of the scenario when bank balances are low. It can also be difficult to edit these underground constructions, if they are under a city where clicking right mouse button can accidentally delete buildings.
	:To begin constructing a tunnel a player must level the land accordingly so that the landscape must be at least two horizontal blocks higher than the entrance of the proposed tunnel. In order to construct underground stations, the player must be in underground view mode. Should the building process of the tunnel be interrupted at any instance, the player may resume construction later by clicking the underground view mode and right clicking the unfinished tunnel track or road. Sometimes, the cities in the game may also develop as the game progresses and build similar tunneled roads on their own accord.

			''Locomotion'' was released in September 2004, following a preview by ] at '']'' in May of that year.<ref>{{cite web \|website=IGN \|last=Goldstein \|first=Hilary \|title=Pre-E3 2004: Atari's Games \|date=3 May 2004 \|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/03/pre-e3-2004-ataris-games}}</ref> The game is the only title released by Sawyer to use his name in the title of the game. Sawyer stated that the use of his name in the title of ''Locomotion'' was used to address "possible legal issues with using the name on its own...which also suited the PR people as they felt it might make it easier to promote the game having my name prominently displayed." Sawyer stated that ''Locomotion'' was the game he was "most proud of" creating, assessing the game as "the best-written piece of programming I've ever done," citing the plug-in and multiplayer capabilities of the game.<ref name=EG>{{cite web \|website=Eurogamer \|title=A big interview with Chris Sawyer, the creator of RollerCoaster Tycoon \|date=3 March 2016 \|last=Yin-Poole \|first=Wesley \|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/a-big-interview-with-chris-sawyer-the-creator-of-rollercoaster-tycoon}}</ref>
	;]s: At any period in the game, the player may now construct an extensive tram system in any town. Tram tracks may overlap the road as in real-life counterparts and may loop at the end of any sections of the intended circuit. As with the other vehicles in the game, trams also witness their own evolution and is an alternative to quickly boost ratings within a town. Tram stations may double as bus passenger stops.

			Following an extended hiatus from development, in 2013, Sawyer released an ] and ] version of ''Transport Tycoon'', with the game's graphics and primarily based on the design of ''Locomotion''.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/management-geeks-rejoice-as-transport-tycoon-arrives-on-ios/ \|title=Transport Tycoon Review: Infrastructure Has Never Been So Fun \|last=Brookes \|first=Tim \|date=14 October 2013 \|work=MakeUseOf \|accessdate=24 March 2014}}</ref> Sawyer expressed the desire to make the game based on the tactical challenge of running the game on a mobile device, stating "the tactile nature of interactive isometric simulation-strategy games really suits the touch screen interface."<ref name=Wired/> On March 17, 2015, ''Locomotion'' was re-released through ] on ] and ].
	;Larger railroad stations: The longest possible length of a train station may now be sixteen blocks at the maximum. This can be used to maximise passengers within the catchment area. Since the stations are now longer, the trains may also be longer than those in the regular Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Stations of all kinds may also branch out to conform to the limit and may overlap each other, thereby creating various station tiers.

			==Reception==
	;Easier ] construction: Airports are simpler to build in difficult terrain situations, provided that no roads or railway links are in the way. However, the cost of elevating the land is taken into account and may lower your ratings in the town if some trees or buildings are destroyed in the construction.

			{{Video game reviews
	;Elevation markings: Throughout the game, whenever a player builds roads or tracks which have a change in altitude, elevation markings appear to assist the player. This helps when constructing a transport service within a hilly town, or when building extensive railway services through challenging terrain.

			\| CGW = {{rating\|1.5\|5}}<ref name=CGW>{{cite magazine \|magazine=Computer Gaming World \|pages=103 \|last=Luo \|first=Di \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|issue=246 \|date=December 2004 \|url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_246/page/n101/mode/2up}}</ref>
	;Local routes: Whenever a player builds a train in a simple local route without any extensive railroad combinations involving other trains, the player now need not set the directions for that single train unless they intend to specify special loading instructions. The same principle applies for trams within a circuit. Further, a player may also configure certain vehicles to be set on an express route, thereby ordering the vehicle to strictly obey its destination routes and not stop at every available stations along the way.

			\| GSpot = 6.8<ref name=GSpot>{{cite web \|website=GameSpot \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|date=9 September 2004 \|last=Ocampo \|first=Jason \|url=https://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/cslocomotion/review.html/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040929111306/https://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/cslocomotion/review.html/ \|archive-date=2004-09-29}}</ref>
	;Scenario challenges: As opposed to Transport Tycoon where the sole and primary aim of the player is to be the leading magnate in transport, Locomotion offers various other challenges. To encourage the player to construct services at every possible opportunity rather than to sit back idle, certain scenarios require the player to complete its objectives within a certain timeframe. In the scenario editor, a player may customise their own constructed world's challenge as they see fit. These options include becoming the top company in addition to accomplishing the mission or to achieve a certain company value within a deadline. Players may also select the type of vehicles they wish to include in the scenarios they have created and does not limit to either the British or American type vehicles.

			\| GSpy = {{rating\|2\|5}}<ref name=GSpy>{{cite web \|website=GameSpy \|last=Rausch \|first=Allen \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|date=21 September 2004 \|url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/chris-sawyers-locomotion/550170p1.html}}</ref>
	;Preset tycoon faces: A long list of preset tycoons replace the old Transport Tycoon random face generator. The new faces now animate in accordance to the state of the company's performance index, showing for instance, a gloating or happy expression when the company is performing well, or an indifferent look when all is normal, or a horrified or angry expression when things do not go well. This may act as a quick guide as to the company's fortunes to the player who may be busy constructing services elsewhere. A Company Owner Editor has also been released that allows you to create your own tycoon with the ability to insert images for each of the tycoon's possible facial expressions.

			\| IGN = 5.8<ref name=IGN>{{cite web \|website=IGN \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|date=5 October 2004 \|last=Adams \|first=Dan \|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/554/554330p1.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041018080502/http://pc.ign.com/articles/554/554330p1.html \|archive-date=2004-10-18}}</ref>
	;New industries: Several new industries are available in the game, including Ski Centres, Breweries, Vineyards and Chemical Laboratories. Livestock Farms and Grain Farms are now individual industries. Food delivery services in Locomotion are also more flexible as compared to TT Deluxe as more of the smaller towns can accept food in town centres.

			\| JXV = 3/20<ref name=JXV>{{cite web \|website=Jeuxvideo \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|date=16 September 2004 \|url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/articles/0000/00004544_test.htm}}</ref>
	;Metropolis Cities: Cities can now achieve metropolis status, which can guarantee larger passenger service opportunities than previously available.

			\| PCZone = 50%<ref name=PCZ1>{{cite journal \|journal=PC Zone \|issue=149 \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|pages=90 \|date=December 2004 \|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_149_Xmas_2004/page/89/mode/2up?q=%22chris+sawyer%27s+locomotion%22}}</ref> / 37%<ref name=PCZ2>{{cite journal \|last=Sefton \|first=Jamie \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|date=May 2005 \|journal=PC Zone \|issue=154 \|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_154_May_2005/page/n93/mode/2up?q=%22chris+sawyer%27s+locomotion%22}}</ref> / 62%<ref name=PCZ3>{{cite journal \|journal=PC Zone \|issue=195 \|date=July 2008 \|pages=91 \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_195_July_2008/page/90/mode/2up?q=%22chris+sawyer%27s+locomotion%22}}</ref>
	;Vehicle maintenance: Vehicles in Locomotion are now not serviced in depots. On the one hand, this can mean a minor advantage in preserving key areas in the cities for a strategic catchment area or for saving building maintenance fees. However, vehicles' reliability can now never be maintained at the current level and will continuously depreciate over time, requiring the vehicles to be replaced roughly after 3 or 4 years game-time. As in Transport Tycoon Deluxe, lower vehicle reliability means an increased likelihood in the vehicle breaking down and interrupting services.

			}}
	:Vehicles may now be easily replaced by stopping whatever it was ordered to and either dragging them to the 'trash bin' icon (to preserve the current route without the hassle of resetting destination orders after building a new vehicle) or by instantly clicking the bin icon after stopping the vehicle, thereby erasing the vehicle data from the player's records (this can be used to scrap a non-profitable route and rebuild it elsewhere).

			Reviews of ''Locomotion'' were generally mixed, with ] '']'' stating reviews were "mixed or average" with an average rating of 59%.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Chris Sawyer's Locomotion for PC Reviews \|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/chris-sawyers-locomotion/critic-reviews/?platform=pc \|publisher=] \|access-date=9 February 2023}}</ref> Many critics compared the game unfavorably to its predecessors, '']'' and '']'', with minimal improvements to the presentation, game mechanics and user interface.<ref name=GSpot/><ref name=GSpy/> Indicative of this reception was Dan Adams of '']'', who stated "Chris Sawyer released Transport Tycoon back in 1994. This game is the same game, but worse for the fact that it hasn't evolved into anything better in a full ten years and that other transport and industry games have come out that have been a thousand times better than it for the fact that they had functional interfaces that provided information and easy construction."<ref name=IGN/>
	;Flexible color schemes: Players now have an option to customise the colors on all of their vehicle types.

			Several critics expressed that ''Locomotion's'' visual presentation was dated at the time of release. Writing for '']'', Dan Adams stated that the game suffered from a "severe lack of artistic direction", stating "buildings and towns are depressingly simple and boring, there's no blending of texture terrains, and very little detail."<ref name=IGN/> Allen Rausch of '']'' critiqued the game's visuals as "remarkably unattractive", critiquing the game's "boxy pseudo-modern architecture (as) just plain boring to look at."<ref name=GSpy/> Many critics unfavorably compared the game's visual presentation to its predecessors, with '']'' stating the game had "the same look and identical interface to that from '']'', but here the colours appear drab, the maps flatter and some of the tiles don't appear to connect all that well."<ref name=PCZ1/> Sawyer himself observed that the release received a "quiet start" in acceptance that the game did not "have the flashy 3D graphics of most modern games", speculating that "it’s much easier to advertise and promote something good looking rather than something which plays well."<ref name=HLF/>
	;New music options: In Locomotion, the era of the game is reflected in the music played, with several pieces of ] music by ] in the early 1900s, moving to the various musical styles of later decades as time progresses.

			Critics also identified the game's interface and navigation as a hindrance to gameplay. Writing for '']'', Di Luo stated the game's presentation was "cumbersome", observing that the game's "map rotation isn't effective enough to let you see everything...finding the correct sources of and destinations for raw materials can be infuriatingly difficult."<ref name=CGW/> Dan Adams of '']'' described the game as an "exercise in frustration, (with) a frustration informational interface (and) frustrating construction interface", stating "sorting through (maps) and finding the information you want can be a chore" and "it's really difficult to judge where tracks and roads need to go to connect."<ref name=IGN/> Jason Ocampo of '']'' stated construction was largely "trial and error" and a "frustrating experience...mainly due to the fact that you can't completely undo the mistakes you'll often make."<ref name=GSpot/>
	;Artificial intelligence construction: When the AI has formulated its own building project at a certain area of the map and is in the process of laying down roads etc, the player may sometimes receive a message prohibiting them from constructing anything which may potentially disrupt the AI's work at building its links. This is a step taken to protect the AI's interests in the game and ensure balanced gameplay as the human player may attempt to sabotage the links (as was notorious in 'Transport Tycoon').

			=== Retrospective reception ===
	==Scenarios==
	The scenarios have five difficulty levels ranging from beginner to expert.

			Retrospective assessments of ''Locomotion'' have been more forgiving than contemporary reviews, whilst noting the game was a disappointment. '']'' stated that the game was "the most complete version of '']'', even if it wasn't named as such. It wasn't as well received...with most complains surrounding the UI, but a heap of improvements made for a solid addition to the concept all the same."<ref name=RG>{{cite journal \|journal=Retro Gamer \|title=In the chair with Chris Sawyer \|issue=138 \|date=September 2016 \|last=Barnes \|first=Adam \|pages=92–97 \|url=https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20138/page/96}}</ref> In a retrospective of the ''Tycoon'' series of games developed by Sawyer, Connor Christie of ''Pocket Tactics'' stated "''Locomotion'' didn't prove to be the reinvigoration of the '']'' Sawyer was hoping for."<ref>{{cite web \|title=The lost legacy of RollerCoaster Tycoon \|date=January 2023 \|website=Pocket Tactics \|url=https://www.pockettactics.com/legacy-of-rollercoaster-tycoon}}</ref> Owen Faraday of '']'' similarly stated the game "drew a tepid reception from critics and fans alike, perhaps a sign that Sawyer's full attention couldn't be brought to bear on the (game)."<ref name=Wired>{{cite magazine \|magazine=Wired \|title=Enigmatic developer Chris Sawyer on remaking Transport Tycoon for mobile devices \|last=Faraday \|first=Owen \|date=20 September 2013 \|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/chris-sawyer-transport-tycoon}}</ref>

	==~~External links~~==		==Legacy==
			''Locomotion'' was Sawyer's final game for some time. Sawyer was in legal dispute with Atari from 2005 to 2008 over unpaid royalties for his work.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Sawyer Sues Atari Over Roller Coaster Tycoon Royalties \|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/sawyer-sues-atari-over-i-roller-coaster-tycoon-i-royalties \|website=www.gamedeveloper.com \|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Sawyer settles Atari suit \|url=https://mcvuk.com/development-news/sawyer-settles-atari-suit/ \|website=MCV \|language=en \|date=5 February 2008}}</ref> This dispute, and the poor reception for ''Locomotion'' led him to depart the industry for a decade. He later returned to work on mobile ports of his earlier work.<ref>{{cite web \|last1=Faraday \|first1=Owen \|title=Enigmatic developer Chris Sawyer on remaking Transport Tycoon for mobile devices \|url=https://www.wired.com/story/chris-sawyer-transport-tycoon/ \|website=Wired}}</ref>
	:'''Official site'''
	*
	*

			=== ''OpenLoco'' ===
	:'''Reviews'''
	*
	*
	*
	*

			In January 2018, the ] project ''OpenLoco'' was launched to enhance the gameplay of ''Locomotion''. The project was founded by a group of developers from '']'', a similar open source reimplementation of '']''.<ref>{{cite web \|title=About OpenLoco \|url=https://openloco.io/about/ \|website=OpenLoco \|language=en}}</ref> The ''OpenLoco'' team aimed to fix ], translate the game to more languages, and support custom resolutions, ] and ]. The project also sought to minimise limitations in the original game and give greater options for gameplay features, such as disabling vehicle breakdowns and unlocking building options.<ref>{{cite web \|website=Gaming on Linux \|last=Dawe \|first=Liam \|title=OpenLoco is a free and open source re-implementation of Chris Sawyer's Locomotion \|date=24 February 2021 \|url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2021/02/openloco-is-a-free-and-open-source-re-implementation-of-chris-sawyers-locomotion/}}</ref> By 2021 ''OpenLoco'' was "getting into a pretty good state" according to ''Gaming on Linux'', with multiplayer support in development.<ref>{{cite web \|title=OpenLoco for Chris Sawyer's Locomotion has an important update out \|url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2021/07/openloco-for-chris-sawyers-locomotion-has-an-important-update-out/ \|website=GamingOnLinux \|language=en \|date=19 July 2021}}</ref>
	:'''Miscellaneous'''

	*
			==See also==
	*
			*'']''
	*
			*'']''
	*

	*
			==References==
	*
			{{Reflist\|30em}}

			==External links==
			*
			*{{moby game\|id=/chris-sawyers-locomotion}}

			{{Chris Sawyer games}}
			{{Authority control}}

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Latest revision as of 01:13, 11 December 2024

2004 video game

Chris Sawyer's Locomotion

Publisher(s)	Atari Interactive
Designer(s)	Chris Sawyer
Artist(s)	Simon Foster
Composer(s)	Allister Brimble John Broomhall David Punshon Scott Joplin
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release	September 2004
Genre(s)	Business simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Chris Sawyer's Locomotion (often abbreviated to Locomotion) is a video game designed and programmed by independent game developer Chris Sawyer, and published by Atari Interactive in September 2004. The game is a simulation game in which the player takes on the role of a transportation company manager, building transportation networks and managing the flow of goods and passengers in order to compete against rival companies. Sawyer independently developed the game over nine years from the 1990s as a "spiritual successor to Transport Tycoon", with the game featuring "fundamentally the same" gameplay but with "differences in detail, scale and presentation" to update and refine the features that Sawyer "wanted to get right" in its predecessor.

Locomotion was released to mixed reviews, with critics observing the game had a dated presentation for the time and was less user-friendly than its predecessors. Following an extended hiatus from the video game industry, the game was re-released by Sawyer in 2013 as a mobile iteration of Transport Tycoon for Android and iOS. Locomotion has also since been the subject of open-source redevelopment by third parties.

Gameplay

Locomotion is an isometric transport simulation game using a refined version of the Transport Tycoon engine first used for RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. The game involves the management of a transport company to construct a network of trains, trams, trucks, buses, airplanes, and ships to co-ordinate a supply chain of resources, including minerals, goods, and passengers across industries to towns and cities. Players start with a bank loan and must build profitable networks to facilitate the supply and demand of resources to earn money and expand their company. To transport resources, players build networks between stations using road, rail, ports, and airports, and purchase vehicles of varying cost, speed, and reliability to travel between them. Players create profitable networks by transporting goods and passengers in efficient networks across greater distances, whilst minimizing transport costs.

Locomotion contains over 40 scenarios in which players compete with rival companies to create successful networks and meet various objectives, such as finishing in a certain ranking in the list of companies, or transporting a specific amount of cargo of a resource. Scenarios are based on five difficulty levels: Beginner, Easy, Medium, Challenging and Expert, and are based on fictional and real-world locations, including the United States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The game also contains a scenario editor to allow players to create and modify the game's scenarios and create custom maps. Scenarios in Locomotion also supports online multiplayer for two players, which plays identically to single player scenarios except with minor restrictions to speed controls. The game also features a hidden train driving mode in which players can perform a keyboard command to assume control over the trains in the game.

Development and release

Locomotion was developed by game developer Chris Sawyer, who had previously developed the simulation game Transport Tycoon". Sawyer intended Locomotion to be a "spiritual successor" to Transport Tycoon, and had worked to complete such a game as early as 1996, but did not make a serious effort to create a successor until the release of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 in 2002. Sawyer also cited the desire to modernise Transport Tycoon to harness the increased technical capabilities of computers at the time, including greater processing power and memory, that allowed a game that "could handle many more more transport vehicles, larger maps, and multiple-level bridges and tunnels instead of just land-based construction," and "more detailed and smoother animation as well as the multi-level three-dimensional transport routes I wanted to include in previous games." Sawyer created the game independently, responsible for the "design, programming, project management and research" himself, with assistance from a graphic artist and musician. Sawyer reflected that Locomotion was created using "large parts of the programming" for RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, which was developed during the same time.

Locomotion was released in September 2004, following a preview by Atari at E3 in May of that year. The game is the only title released by Sawyer to use his name in the title of the game. Sawyer stated that the use of his name in the title of Locomotion was used to address "possible legal issues with using the name on its own...which also suited the PR people as they felt it might make it easier to promote the game having my name prominently displayed." Sawyer stated that Locomotion was the game he was "most proud of" creating, assessing the game as "the best-written piece of programming I've ever done," citing the plug-in and multiplayer capabilities of the game.

Following an extended hiatus from development, in 2013, Sawyer released an Android and iOS version of Transport Tycoon, with the game's graphics and primarily based on the design of Locomotion. Sawyer expressed the desire to make the game based on the tactical challenge of running the game on a mobile device, stating "the tactile nature of interactive isometric simulation-strategy games really suits the touch screen interface." On March 17, 2015, Locomotion was re-released through digital distribution on Steam and gog.com.

Reception

Review scores
Publication	Score
Computer Gaming World
GameSpot	6.8
GameSpy
IGN	5.8
Jeuxvideo.com	3/20
PC Zone	50% / 37% / 62%

Reviews of Locomotion were generally mixed, with review aggregator Metacritic stating reviews were "mixed or average" with an average rating of 59%. Many critics compared the game unfavorably to its predecessors, Rollercoaster Tycoon and Transport Tycoon, with minimal improvements to the presentation, game mechanics and user interface. Indicative of this reception was Dan Adams of IGN, who stated "Chris Sawyer released Transport Tycoon back in 1994. This game is the same game, but worse for the fact that it hasn't evolved into anything better in a full ten years and that other transport and industry games have come out that have been a thousand times better than it for the fact that they had functional interfaces that provided information and easy construction."

Several critics expressed that Locomotion's visual presentation was dated at the time of release. Writing for IGN, Dan Adams stated that the game suffered from a "severe lack of artistic direction", stating "buildings and towns are depressingly simple and boring, there's no blending of texture terrains, and very little detail." Allen Rausch of GameSpy critiqued the game's visuals as "remarkably unattractive", critiquing the game's "boxy pseudo-modern architecture (as) just plain boring to look at." Many critics unfavorably compared the game's visual presentation to its predecessors, with PC Zone stating the game had "the same look and identical interface to that from Rollercoaster Tycoon, but here the colours appear drab, the maps flatter and some of the tiles don't appear to connect all that well." Sawyer himself observed that the release received a "quiet start" in acceptance that the game did not "have the flashy 3D graphics of most modern games", speculating that "it’s much easier to advertise and promote something good looking rather than something which plays well."

Critics also identified the game's interface and navigation as a hindrance to gameplay. Writing for Computer Gaming World, Di Luo stated the game's presentation was "cumbersome", observing that the game's "map rotation isn't effective enough to let you see everything...finding the correct sources of and destinations for raw materials can be infuriatingly difficult." Dan Adams of IGN described the game as an "exercise in frustration, (with) a frustration informational interface (and) frustrating construction interface", stating "sorting through (maps) and finding the information you want can be a chore" and "it's really difficult to judge where tracks and roads need to go to connect." Jason Ocampo of GameSpot stated construction was largely "trial and error" and a "frustrating experience...mainly due to the fact that you can't completely undo the mistakes you'll often make."

Retrospective reception

Retrospective assessments of Locomotion have been more forgiving than contemporary reviews, whilst noting the game was a disappointment. Retro Gamer stated that the game was "the most complete version of Transport Tycoon, even if it wasn't named as such. It wasn't as well received...with most complains surrounding the UI, but a heap of improvements made for a solid addition to the concept all the same." In a retrospective of the Tycoon series of games developed by Sawyer, Connor Christie of Pocket Tactics stated "Locomotion didn't prove to be the reinvigoration of the Transport Tycoon Sawyer was hoping for." Owen Faraday of Wired similarly stated the game "drew a tepid reception from critics and fans alike, perhaps a sign that Sawyer's full attention couldn't be brought to bear on the (game)."

Legacy

Locomotion was Sawyer's final game for some time. Sawyer was in legal dispute with Atari from 2005 to 2008 over unpaid royalties for his work. This dispute, and the poor reception for Locomotion led him to depart the industry for a decade. He later returned to work on mobile ports of his earlier work.

OpenLoco

In January 2018, the open-source project OpenLoco was launched to enhance the gameplay of Locomotion. The project was founded by a group of developers from OpenRCT2, a similar open source reimplementation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. The OpenLoco team aimed to fix bugs, translate the game to more languages, and support custom resolutions, macOS and Linux. The project also sought to minimise limitations in the original game and give greater options for gameplay features, such as disabling vehicle breakdowns and unlocking building options. By 2021 OpenLoco was "getting into a pretty good state" according to Gaming on Linux, with multiplayer support in development.

References

"Portfolio". Orchestral Media. Orchestral Media Developments. 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
"Customer Support, Technical Support, Game Enquiries". Chris Sawyer Software Development. Retrieved 30 April 2016. Cinematic orchestral music for video games by Allister Brimble and Anthony Putson. Allister created the music and sound effects for RollerCoaster Tycoon 1 & 2, and Chris Sawyer's Locomotion.
^ Barnes, Adam (September 2016). "In the chair with Chris Sawyer". Retro Gamer (138): 92–97.
^ Callaham, John (21 September 2004). "Chris Sawyer's Locomotion Interview". HomeLAN. Archived from the original on 2004-10-09.
^ Gamespot Staff (2 April 2004). "RollerCoaster Tycoon designer offers first details on new title". GameSpot. Archived from the original (Interview) on 7 October 2009.
^ Chris Sawyer's Locomotion: Game Manual. Atari. 2004.
"Chris Sawyer's Locomotion - Train Driving Mode!". Chris Sawyer. 2005.
Goldstein, Hilary (3 May 2004). "Pre-E3 2004: Atari's Games". IGN.
Yin-Poole, Wesley (3 March 2016). "A big interview with Chris Sawyer, the creator of RollerCoaster Tycoon". Eurogamer.
Brookes, Tim (14 October 2013). "Transport Tycoon Review: Infrastructure Has Never Been So Fun". MakeUseOf. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
^ Faraday, Owen (20 September 2013). "Enigmatic developer Chris Sawyer on remaking Transport Tycoon for mobile devices". Wired.
^ Luo, Di (December 2004). "Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". Computer Gaming World. No. 246. p. 103.
^ Ocampo, Jason (9 September 2004). "Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2004-09-29.
^ Rausch, Allen (21 September 2004). "Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". GameSpy.
^ Adams, Dan (5 October 2004). "Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". IGN. Archived from the original on 2004-10-18.
"Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". Jeuxvideo. 16 September 2004.
^ "Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". PC Zone (149): 90. December 2004.
Sefton, Jamie (May 2005). "Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". PC Zone (154).
"Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". PC Zone (195): 91. July 2008.
"Chris Sawyer's Locomotion for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
"The lost legacy of RollerCoaster Tycoon". Pocket Tactics. January 2023.
"Sawyer Sues Atari Over Roller Coaster Tycoon Royalties". www.gamedeveloper.com.
"Sawyer settles Atari suit". MCV. 5 February 2008.
Faraday, Owen. "Enigmatic developer Chris Sawyer on remaking Transport Tycoon for mobile devices". Wired.
"About OpenLoco". OpenLoco.
Dawe, Liam (24 February 2021). "OpenLoco is a free and open source re-implementation of Chris Sawyer's Locomotion". Gaming on Linux.
"OpenLoco for Chris Sawyer's Locomotion has an important update out". GamingOnLinux. 19 July 2021.

External links

v t e Chris Sawyer games
Early contributions	Virus (1988) Revenge of Defender (1989) Xenomorph (1990) Conqueror (1990) Elite Plus (1991) Birds of Prey (1991) Campaign (1992) Dino Dini's Goal (1993) Frontier: Elite II (1993) Frontier: First Encounters (1995)
Chris Sawyer Software	Transport Tycoon (1994) RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999) RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (2002) Chris Sawyer's Locomotion (2004) RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 (2004, as consultant) RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic (2016)
Related projects	OpenTTD (2004) OpenRCT2 (2014) OpenLoco (2018)

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